. . . but it is oxygen that causes oxidation of the dough rather than heat and friction. . . . Omid or anyone else, your thoughts and clarification of this point is appreciated.

Dear Jackie Tran, let me see if I can clarify this issue. What does it mean to “oxidize”?If I am not wrong, to oxidize corporeal matter, such as a piece of dough, means to combine it with oxygen—that is, the atoms of oxygen cause the atoms of the dough to become positively charged by being stripped of their electrons. The release of electrons in the dough causes release of packets of energy (potential energy) which come through as kinetic energy (heat). In general, heat is a form of energy linked with the motion of atoms. So if you knead the dough, internal and external frictions set the atoms in the dough in motion, causing them to warm up (i.e., to be slowly oxidized or release packets of energy). So, if the preceding premises are true, “oxidation” and “heat” pertain to motion of atoms. Hence, I tentatively conclude that both friction and heat accelerate the rate of oxidation of dough. I hope this helps!

I would also be interested in understanding what you refer to as "effective hydration".

I think your interest is very fundamental (fundāre, "to lay the foundation"). Thank you! But, first, please excuse my peculiar way of approaching this subject, and I hope I am knowledgeable enough to address your concern. (Sometimes, I can not find rational explanations for what I do!) According to Aristotle, Thales of Miletus (the father of Western philosophy) regarded water “as the first principle [or ‘material cause’] of all things.” Modern scholars argue that since pre-classical Greek language lacked the power of abstractive conceptualization, Thales could have meant “fluidity” (derived from fluere, “to flow” or “to smooth”) by water. And, that is precisely my point: fluidity, making the flour fluid enough in order to be materially causative or creative. The master of those who know, Aristotle (who also had examined the nature of flour and bread!), wrote:

“Since that [e.g., flour] which is capable is capable of something and at some time and in some way . . . and since some things can work according to a rational formula and their potentialities involve a formula, while other things are non-rational and their potentialities are non-rational, and the former potentialities must be in a living thing, while the latter can be both in the living and in the lifeless; as regards potentialities of the latter kind, when the agent and the patient meet in the way appropriate to the potentiality in question, the one must act and the other be acted on, but with the former kind this in not necessary.” (The italics, not the words, are added for your attention.)

The floured wheat endosperm is solid, not fluid. And, it has certain regulatory resistance to hydration, which, if I am not mistaken, flour scientists often refer to as “kinetics of water transport” or “hydration dynamics of endosperm”. This resistance barrier can be overcome “at some time and in some way”, which calls for a “methodology” or “methodic handling” that the Romans, and Persians, of antiquity were good at, without resorting to all the fanciful conceptualizations above and hereafter. (If the Western civilization had effectuated a synthesis of "art" and "capitalism", such methods would not have been forgotten today!) As I wrote in my article above, a way is to get the flour’s own natural enzymes “to adequately turn the starch content of flour into sugar and to reconfigure the protein content of flour into gluten—after mixing, but prior to kneading—in order to minimize dough oxidation, which causes the dough to be less “extensible” (as distinct from being “elastic”), bleached in color, deficient in flavor, and hard in texture. By analogy, if your hair is not wet enough, shampooing your hair would not be effective. First, adequately (quantity) and effectively (quality) hydrate your hair, and then shampoo! Adequately (indicative of “quantity”) and effectively (indicative of “quality” or “how”) hydrating flour will beget dough of superior extensibility, flavor, sourness, texture, and aroma.”

Let me insert another allegorical example: If a Ferrari's engine is not properly oiled, then driving it will be rough and will damage the engine. However, if the Ferrari's engine is properly oiled, then driving it will be smooth.

So, there are two distinct, but not separate, factors: quantity of hydration and quality (or how) of hydration. I invite your attention to the photo below. The pizza in the picture baked for about 3 minutes, at about 700-800 degree in a $99 modified Sears home gas oven. The raw dough of the pizza contained 49% hydration, which is quantitatively low! Yet, the puff (and the relative soft texture of the crust, which you can’t feel) betrays the 49% percent hydration. Why? Because of effective hydration—the way (not exclusive of time) the flour was animated before it was acted on. May Nettuno be with you!

Poetically written Omid. I normally use a high hydration of 68% for caputo 00, but was able to drop it 5% by effectively hydrating the dough. The dough was a bit more fluid than my normal 68%. Too soon for me to say it made an improvement but I was glad to have a new technique and perspective from this, so thank you.

For those curious, I gave the dough a l...o...n...g rest (8h) before kneading it. Not sure how this compares to what Omid does, but I did note the difference.

Omid, I also subscribe to a "quality of hydration", or effective hydration. One of the reasons I always employ an autolyse for my pizzas, which are inspired by Neapolitan pizza (but not Neapolitan-style).

With regards to the pizza pictured above, the puff of the cornicione is not solely due to the quality of hydration. The heat plays a major role and at the 700-800°F temperatures you cooked at, you're likely to get lift in the cornicione. High heat brings a lot of forgiveness to the table when cooking pies. Even pies roughly rolled out with a rolling pin can experience oven spring in high heat.

But spring alone is only one part of the equation. Good spring won't alleviate a poorly mixed, fermented, proofed, mishandled and/or etc dough...among other things, oven kick just more clearly reveals the truth of what is already there. --K

For those curious, I gave the dough a l...o...n...g rest (8h) before kneading it. Not sure how this compares to what Omid does, but I did note the difference.

Chau

Chau - What you have partially done is a modified autolyse that involves taking a portion of the dough (ie, in Omid's description - some of the water and some of the flour) and letting it hydrate for 8-10 hours. Then the dough is made as normal. It is described on page 59 of Suas. The protease in the flour is given time to break down some of the gluten bonds for more extensibility in the final product.

I have been meaning to respond to this thread. Omid's passionate treatise describes bread making nearly exactly the way alot of us here on the board have been doing for quite some time. I believe Kelly pointed out "effective hydration" is just another phrase for autolyse. I have never done the extended/modified autolyse, but it seems Omid get great results with it. The extremely low hydration levels at which he is baking pies shows it may truly be an "effective" way to get good results. I am interested to try it.

John I believe you are correct and thanks for pointing out the Saus reference.

I would also agree that many of us have already been effectively hydrating our dough for some time now by doing an extended fermentation. As you mentioned, this gives time for the enzymes to do their job, making the dough more fluid, extensible, etc. We just weren't calling it that per se.

Whether using a long (modified) autolyse or an overall long fermentation, the end result is the same. That is we can effectively lower the hydration and achieve a dough that handles like a higher hydrated dough.

John what impresses me here is the fact that you were able to find that nugget of info in the Saus book.

I am interested to see if Omid agrees or not that effectively hydrating the dough produces the same effect that an extended fermentation does. Though the method may vary, the result is a more fluid/extensible dough at a relatively lower hydration.

Chau - What you have partially done is a modified autolyse that involves taking a portion of the dough (ie, in Omid's description - some of the water and some of the flour) and letting it hydrate for 8-10 hours. Then the dough is made as normal. It is described on page 59 of Suas. The protease in the flour is given time to break down some of the gluten bonds for more extensibility in the final product.

I have been meaning to respond to this thread. Omid's passionate treatise describes bread making nearly exactly the way alot of us here on the board have been doing for quite some time. I believe Kelly pointed out "effective hydration" is just another phrase for autolyse. I have never done the extended/modified autolyse, but it seems Omid get great results with it. The extremely low hydration levels at which he is baking pies shows it may truly be an "effective" way to get good results. I am interested to try it.